Denny
I wake up late the next morning, smiling to myself as I reach out for Robin.
She's not in bed.
My heart speeds up and I start to panic.
Sometimes I'm afraid that when I open my eyes, I'll be back in the hospital, still dying while I wait for a heart transplant, having made up our whole life together as a way to cope with the pain.
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to slowly look around the room.
It's ours. I sigh in relief, then calm down considerably as I see a note propped up on the bedside table.
Cooper and I went for a walk. We'll be back soon. I love you.
I sit up, wondering when she left.
Then I hear her phone chime in the bathroom and realize that she must be back already.
When I go in, she's sitting on the floor and staring at the counter. Cooper is laying next to her, his head pressed against her belly.
"Hey, babe." I lean down next to her, running my hand through her hair and kissing her forehead. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know," she admits softly, still staring at the same spot.
I get up to look at the counter, not sure what she's looking at.
When I see it, my breath catches in my throat for a moment. I swallow, then ask, "What does two lines mean?"
"There are two lines?" I turn back to her, my stomach twisting as she starts to cry.
But then I realize that she's smiling.
"Denny, we're having a baby," she whispers. I quickly sit down next to her, pulling her close.
Cooper looks at us both sagely, his head still resting comfortably against Robin's belly. "He did that the first night at the shelter," I remember, suddenly curious.
Robin nods. "Yeah. I think he knew."
"Is that possible?" I wonder.
She laughs. "I Googled it. It might be." She pets his head affectionately and he barks softly.
I pet him too, then slide my fingers over her stomach. "Can I get in there too, buddy?" Cooper obligingly moves. "Thanks."
"I don't understand," I tell her. "We just started trying a week ago. I didn't know you could tell that fast." Not that I'm not thrilled. I'm just a little shocked. We both hoped it would happen this fast, but I don't think either of us really expected it.
Robin shakes her head. "We've been trying for over a month, actually." I blink, not understanding. "I got a message from the doctor," she explains. "My birth control implant was from a batch that was mislabeled by the manufacturer. So it ran out before I had it removed. I actually missed my period this month. I just didn't realize because I was so busy."
She leans against me, putting her hand over mine on her middle.
You wouldn't know that anything has changed by looking at her. She seems the same.
But we both know better.
"We're having a baby," I repeat. "We're really having a baby." My eyes get wide. "We need a car seat, and a stroller. Oh, and a crib. Clothes. Toys. Diapers. I need to make a list..."
I start to move, but Robin keeps me in place. "Denny, we have a lot of time before we need those things. Just relax, okay? Sit with me."
I smile sheepishly. "Right. Sorry." I bite my lip. "You shouldn't be sitting on the floor, babe."
She giggles. "Okay. Take me downstairs and let's start a fire."
I do what she asks, then join her, tucking a blanket around both of us. Cooper curls up against her other side, clearly intent on keeping her safe.
She falls asleep against me. I shift and lay next to her as she stretches out on the couch, sliding down to press my head against the soft curve of her tummy. She's always been a little bigger, and I love it.
I'm fascinated as I think about our baby growing inside of her. She's going to be so beautiful.
I take a deep breath, pushing her shirt up a little so I can speak against her bare skin.
"Hi, baby. I'm, um. I'm your dad." I pause, trying to process that I really am a father now. "I, um, know that I can't see or feel you yet, but I'm excited to." So much is running through my head that it's hard to know exactly what to say. Finally, I settle on, "I'm going to take care of you, all right? Always. You and your mom. Try to go easy on her, okay? She works really hard."
I kiss Robin's skin reverently, smiling when I feel her hand in my hair. I kiss her again, pressing my face closer. "I'm already so in love with our baby, Robin," I murmur.
"Me too, Denny. Keep talking?"
We stay like that for the rest of the morning. When we finally get up, we do the things we always do, but everything is different.
We're going to have the family we've been dreaming about. And I can't wait.
THE END
Denny and Robin's story will continue in And All the Ones After (not yet released).
